The Golden State Warriors found themselves in a familiar, yet precarious position on April 7, 2026, as they hosted the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco. With just a handful of games left in the regular season and a play-in tournament berth looming, the Warriors were desperate to snap a four-game losing streak and build some much-needed momentum. But if fans expected a routine night, they were quickly reminded that nothing comes easy for this battered but resilient squad.
Stephen Curry’s return from a 27-game absence due to a persistent runner’s knee injury has been the major storyline for the Warriors in recent days. After missing action since late January, Curry made his highly anticipated comeback in a nail-biting 117-116 loss to the Houston Rockets on April 5. Though Golden State came up short, Curry electrified the arena by pouring in 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including five makes from beyond the arc. “I felt good, both physically and mentally,” Curry said after the game, according to ESPN, giving Dub Nation a glimmer of hope for the closing stretch.
Heading into Tuesday night’s showdown with Sacramento, Curry was initially listed as probable but was upgraded to available just before tip-off. However, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made it clear that caution was still the name of the game. Curry would not start and would be limited to roughly 26 minutes off the bench, mirroring his workload against Houston. “From what I’ve heard, it’s going to be around that again—26, maybe stretched a little bit,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported. “Which probably means he’s coming off the bench again, because they want him to close every quarter.”
This strategy speaks volumes about the Warriors’ priorities. With the postseason on the horizon, the franchise is determined to keep its superstar healthy, even if it means tinkering with rotations and sacrificing short-term rhythm. Curry’s absence had forced Golden State to adapt, and now the challenge is reacclimating him to a team that looks quite different from the one he left in January.
Unfortunately, the Warriors’ injury woes didn’t end with Curry. Kristaps Porzingis, who had been listed as questionable with knee soreness, was ruled out for the Kings game—a significant blow to Golden State’s already thin frontcourt. This marked Porzingis’s second absence in the last eight games. The list of sidelined Warriors was extensive: Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody (both out for the season with knee injuries), L.J. Cryer (illness), Al Horford (right soleus strain), Quinten Post (right foot injury), and Gui Santos (right pelvic contusion) were all unavailable. Will Richard, initially slated to start, became a late scratch, forcing the Warriors to turn to Pat Spencer in the starting five. That left Golden State with just ten active players, only four of whom stood taller than 6’4”.
The starting lineup for Golden State was a patchwork of necessity: Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Pat Spencer, Malevy Leons, and Draymond Green. Curry, the franchise’s heartbeat, again came off the bench, while the team leaned heavily on newcomers and two-way players like Charles Bassey and Nate Williams to eat up frontcourt minutes. It was a far cry from the championship rotations fans have come to expect, but with so many regulars sidelined, the Warriors had little choice but to go small and scrap for every rebound and loose ball.
On the other side, the Kings were dealing with their own injury crisis. Sacramento’s roster was decimated, with stars like Domantas Sabonis, Russell Westbrook, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, De’Andre Hunter, and Drew Eubanks all ruled out. The projected Kings starters—Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, Daeqwon Plowden, Precious Achiuwa, and Maxime Raynaud—offered a glimpse into Sacramento’s future, but the team’s 21-58 record and depleted lineup made this a winnable game for Golden State, at least on paper.
Still, the Warriors entered the contest with a 36-42 record, locked into the 10th seed in the Western Conference. Their first below-.500 finish since 2021 was already assured, and with the Clippers holding the tiebreaker and a favorable schedule, Golden State’s only realistic postseason path runs through the play-in tournament. If the Dubs hope to make noise, they’ll need to win two road games just to reach the playoffs proper—a daunting task for a team that’s struggled with consistency all season.
Statistically, the matchup favored Golden State. The Warriors averaged 114.8 points per game, slightly below the Kings’ defensive yield of 121.2 points. Sacramento, meanwhile, scored 110.9 points per contest, just a shade under the 115.1 points the Warriors surrendered on average. Oddsmakers pegged Golden State as heavy favorites, but with both teams fielding makeshift lineups, the outcome was anything but certain.
For the Warriors, the focus was clear: integrate Curry back into the flow, survive the frontcourt deficit, and rediscover the defensive intensity that has been their calling card during past playoff runs. Draymond Green’s leadership and versatility were more important than ever, while youngsters like Podziemski and Leons were thrust into high-leverage roles. The coaching staff, led by Steve Kerr, faced the unenviable task of juggling rotations and managing minutes with a skeleton crew.
“It’s not ideal, but we have to make it work,” Kerr remarked before the game, echoing the team’s next-man-up mentality. The Warriors’ margin for error was slim, but with Curry back—albeit in a limited role—there was at least a spark of optimism. The hope was that his presence would lift the energy of the group and provide the offensive punch that’s been missing during the recent skid.
As the game tipped off at 7:00 PM PT, Warriors fans packed Chase Center, eager to see if their team could finally halt the losing streak and head into the play-in with some confidence. The stakes may not have been as high as in years past, but for a proud franchise battling adversity at every turn, every possession mattered.
With the action still ongoing, the Warriors’ playoff fate hangs in the balance. But one thing’s for sure: with Curry back on the floor, anything can happen. Golden State’s resilience is being tested, and the coming days will reveal just how much fight this group has left as the postseason approaches.